The Gospel According to AJ's.


Ever since the COVID-19 shutdown, I have done almost all of my grocery shopping down the road at AJ's Surplus Grocery. I am calling it asymmetrical shopping. Whereas COSTCO is the very definition of predictable, AJ's changes like a chameleon week-to-week. It is the Wild West. The stock is not very consistent outside of the eggs.

In attempting to stay away from large crowds, AJ's has worked out great. This last week I bought ten pounds of ground sausage for $15.99. The two tubes are light sabers. One could go to a street fight with these frozen pork bats in hand. Whole Wheat bread loaves were 94 cents a piece so I loaded up on those and put in the spare freezer. Starbucks Coffee Reserves bags, normally in the $20 range were $2.99. I had to pass as I have enough roasted and green coffee until 2021.

I never run out of coffee. Never. That is a non-negotiable. I can't imagine people running out of coffee.

When AJ's first opened, I found precisely three products that I wanted to buy. Since that opening about 6 months ago, it has that usual surplus grocer combo of bottom-feeder food (simple carbs) but now, as well, some really great products. I bought microwavable Chinese single serve noddle dishes that I found out, when I got home, were actually manufactured in China, which has given me pause. I am slowly working through the two boxes as well as other things that I have bought that have not turned out well. On a positive side, I have found ice cream that is hand-made in Ohio that is the bomb.

On the whole, though, I am shopping at a COSTCO level in terms of volume (two carts out the door) but saving a lot of money. COSTCO is not necessarily a money saver when one considers the membership fees. What its selling proposition is are great products at good prices. Everything is curated in order to qualify. I think all that happens at AJ's is someone needs to unload product. So, it can be real hit or miss. 

An interesting feature of AJ's is that they play, on the loud side, Christian Contemporary Music. Their posts of social media are at least half Bible verses with the other half being some new shipment of something. Usually that crap bottom-feeder food that sells well with Americans. Stuff like sugared cereal. I think they had Chips Ahoy cereal the other day. Start your day off spiking your insulin kids!

Columbia is a relatively hard-up town so AJ's is providing a good service to the community who may have tight budgets and mouths to feed. As long as one can avoid the unhealthy food and go with what is termed whole foods (not processed), it is a good business for Christians to own and run. The crap food probably is higher in profit as compared to the better products, so it helps sail the ship. AJ's is a  tangible asset for those who may have need. Better than those prosperity preachers on TV that offer nothing but false hope. All junk.

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